Mature mast cells, isolated from the rat peritoneal cavity, were placed into suspension
culture, either as resting cells or after degranulation by exposure to compound 48 80, and
were maintained for up to 63 hr. No mitotic cells were observed, and cell number was
conserved. The culture conditions did not cause spontaneous degranulation and cell
survival was better than 80%. However, with time in culture, an increasing percentage of
cells acquired a vesiculated appearance, characterized by a Golgi area with distended …